This is the Part 1 of the interview, cause it's very long... I hope te like it! <3
On October 26, 2001 Michael took part in an online audio chat, answering fans' domande via the telephone through moderator Anthony DeCurtis. The interview was sponsored da GetMusic.com and RollingStone.com and has been archived online at GetMusic.com.
The text transcript of the interview is below.
Anthony: Hello Ladies and Gentleman, this is Anthony DeCurtis. You're on Getmusic.com and we're here tonight for a very special event. The King of Pop, one of the greatest artists in the history of popolare music, Michael Jackson, is going to be joining us. He has a new record coming out on Oct. 30, it's called Invisible [interviewer's error]. te can check it out at Michaeljackson.com, te can preorder it at getmusic.com.
Anthony: Michael, it's a pleasure to talk to te man.
Michael: Pleasure to talk with you.
Anthony: Tell us a little bit about the new album. It's your first new record in 6 years. Uh, do te still get exited when te have something come out? Obviously you've accomplished so much over the years. te know, do te still feel that, like, "Wow, I wonder what people are gonna think" or, te know, feel all of that kind of anticipation?
Michael: I kinda parallel it to a, uh, te know... It's like the gestation process of, uh, birth. te know, it's a... te know, it's like having children, and having to raise them and bring them out into the world, and once they get into the world they're on their own. So, it's, it's, very exciting. I mean, te never get too used to it, ever. It's, uh, an incredible process. But te leave it in the hands of God, like te do when you're having a child.
Anthony: Absolutely. We've got domande already beginning to pour in from your fan on the Internet. We've got Electric Eyes, male, Scrivere in. Says, "Michael, te are, in my mind, the greatest artist of all time. The true King of pop, rock, and soul." And he wants to know, "What is your preferito song on the new album?"
Michael: My preferito song on the new album. Can I pick two?
Anthony: Uh, yeah, I think te can do that. te can pretty much do whatever te like.
Michael: Uh, it would probably be Unbreakable... I'll pick three. Unbreakable, Speechless, and The Lost Children.
Anthony: Tell us about a couple of those tracks. te know, what was it like work... I mean, were there special guests, o were te working with new producers, o how te wrote them. te know, something that gives us some flavor.
Michael: Well, the songwriting process is something very difficult to explain because it's very spiritual. It's, uh...You really have it in the hands of God, and it's as if its been written already - that's the real truth. As if its been written in its entirety before were born and you're just really the fonte through which the songs come. Really. Because there is...they just fall right into your lap in it's entirety. te don't have to do much thinking about it. And I feel guilty having to put my name, sometimes, on the songs that I - I do write them - I digita them, I write them, I do the scoring, I do the lyrics, I do the melodies but still, it's a...it's a work of God.
Anthony: Samantha from Canada just sent us in a question. She would like to know, "How would te describe the sound on Invincible and have te incorporated any other genres into the album?"
Michael: Well, the sound is...sonically, we always try to make sure we have, te know, pristine, detailed, uh, te know, the best sound, the best engineers, the best technicians available. And of course, I tried to make the album a potpourri of just wonderful melodies of any style. Because I don't believe in stylizing o branding any type of music. I think a great artist should be able to just create any style, any form, any...any thing from rock to pop to folk to gospel to spiritual to just, just wonderful Musica where every, uh, anybody can sing it, from the Irish farmer to a lady who Scrubs toilets in Harlem. If te can whistle it and hum it, that's the most important thing.
Anthony: Now, when you're working do te find, are te in a mode where te like to listen to a lot of other music, o you're listening to the radio and maybe picking up people's CDs. o when you're working do te like to just kinda shut it all out and concentrate, te know, intently on what you're doing?
Michael: I pretty much... I always know what's going on, on the radio and in clubs, that people are listening to. Even though people think I live at Neverland -- mentally I'm in Never Never land all the time -- I'm always connected. I always know what's going on in the Musica world, all the time. Not just in America but Internationally. te know, all over the world. And uh, when I'm working though, I don't... I'm not in... I don't think I'm influenced da a lot of the Musica today. Uh, I pretty much create what I think is in my heart. Very original. I try to be as original as possible. I don't say, 'OK, I'm gonna make this a great R&B song, a great pop... I just want to make a great song.
Anthony: Like the song takes it's own form.
Michael: Yeah. Yes.
Anthony: Well, uh, Amber here on the Internet offers te lots of Amore and wonders if, um, it was fun for te to make the rock... the te Rock My World video.
Michael: Yes, that was a lot of fun. Uh, it was... We stayed up all night, which was very hard [giggling]. We, uh, it was fun hearing it blasted on the set on really good speakers. That's one of my preferito things, hearing the Musica really loud. 'Cause I like to play Musica loud. I mean, it's, uh... If te play something over the Internet o small speakers, it doesn't have the same punch. That's why te have to buy it. te have to buy that CD to really hear that punch. It makes a huge difference. Huge difference. There's no comparison. Buying the CD is the best thing. There's no comparison. [Interruption from host]... te can't hear all those sounds if te do it on a smaller system.
Anthony: And when you're, uh... So when you're out on the video set, uh, you're able to just kinda crank it up as loud as te want?
Michael: As loud as I want.
Anthony: Very good [laughing]. Well, we have Michael Mathew from Canada. He says, "I just saw Ghosts on MTV. As always, te are awesome, Michael. Do te have any plans of releasing it as a DVD in America?"
Michael: Yes, it will be released as a DVD in America in it's entirety, and some of the making of Ghosts. And that was one of my most preferito things I've ever done because it's been a dream of mine for a long time to do something like, te know, scary but comical at the same time, and, uh, it's all the elements, just fun. 'Cause I don't want to scare people to the point where they're afraid to go to sleep. I want it to have a little twist of humor. And within the laugher there is a tear, te know? It's fun, te know. These ghosts, they weren't really scary, they were fun. They walked up the ceilings. Little kids were laughing at them. They were fun. te know, we don't want to horrify them. But we gave this fat man, this Mayor, his justice, for coming into my house, which was private property, judging me. te know.
Anthony: Absolutely. We have Cloudlee2000 who writes in and wonders, "Why did te name the album Invincible?"
Michael: Well, invincible is something of... I think it's a proper name. It's one of the cuts on the album and I've been an artist.. uh, not to pat myself on the back but the guinness Book of World Records just listed me, uh, another time, as the artist who's had the longest stretch career 'cause since I was a little, little kid to this point with still hit records from number one records, and uh, I'm so proud and honored that I've been chosen from the Heavens, o whatever it is, to be Invincible, and to just continue to grow and to be, te know... serve the people. It serves the people with wonderful entertainment.
Anthony: Now, one of the, te know, the kind of conventional wisdom in the Musica industry is, te know, audiences don't really have an attention span any more, te know. If an artist stays away for too long the audience wanders off and goes somewhere else. Was that a concern of yours with coming out with a record and taking a while to work on Invincible o do you, uh, are te convinced your fan base is still there and will be as strong as ever?
Michael: I'm, I'm ... No, the answer to your domanda is that has never concerned me once and I've never thought of it. Because I've always known if Musica is truly great o if a movie is truly great, people want to see it o hear it. No matter where you, how long you've been away, o whatever the situation is. te know, greatness is greatness and if te really do a great job on what you're doing, people want to hear it. o they want to see it. te know, it doesn't matter, It really doesn't. Long as you're an innovator and a pioneer, te know. And that's the most important thing. Give them what they want to hear.
Anthony: Now Slimslady420US sends in a domanda and wonders "which song on the Invincible album do te think te personally relate to the most?"
Michael: Ummm, Unbreakable.
Anthony: Talk a bit about that track. Now te mentioned it a couple of times, I'm getting really curious about it. Could you... What could te tell us about it?
Michael: 'Cause, uh, I' m one of the few people, probably in mostra business, that have been through the ins and outs, te know, of so many different things. Um, I've been through hell and back. I have, to be honest, and uh, and still I'm able to do what I do and nothing can stop me. No one can stop me, no matter what. I stop when I'm ready to stop. te know, and uh, I'm just saying, te know, I will continue to sposta inoltrare, avanti no matter what.
Anthony: Now we have Warful writes in, "Are te working o planning to do any più short films for Invincible, specifically for the really fast tracks such as 2000 Watts, Heartbreaker, Unbreakable, and Invincible?"
Michael: Absolutely, and she said... Whoever detto that detto the right word when they detto detto "short films." And uh, that's what we try to make them, short films: a beginning and middle and a ending of a story. Uh, to take the medium to a new level but absolutely. There's like a an array of, an encyclopedia of just great short films to make from the album. It's very exciting. I can't wait to do Threatened. It's a kind of scary one with Rod Serling from the Twilight Zone. I can't wait to get my hands on that one.
Anthony: We have a domanda here from Nepolian3, says his name is George really, and it says, "Michael, I think this is your most cohesive and impressive album since Thriller. Or, really, Off The Wall. What are some of your most memorable moments while recording the tracks for this album?"
Michael: Most memorable moments were, it was... of all my albums I would say this one was the toughest. 'Cause I was hardest on myself. Uh, I wrote so many songs, I don't want to say the number, just to get to uh, how many are on there, 16? Just to get to the 16 that I think are acceptable. And, um, it's the album where... I didn't have children before other albums, so I caught a lot of colds; I was sick a lot. Cause my children got [interruption from host]. So we had to stop and start again and stop and start and... constantly. But I enjoyed it very, very much.
Anthony: Now, when te describe yourself as being tough on yourself during the recording process. How does that, te know... what is the process that te go to. If te think something isn't quite what it ought to be o maybe te could do better o te know, maybe te want to sposta something in a new direction. te know, what is that like?
Michael: If I truly told you, I don't know if the fan would like me anymore [giggles]. I've had musicians who really get angry with me because I'll make them do something literally several hundred to a thousand times till it's what I want it to be. Um, but then afterwards, they call me back on the phone and they'll apologize and say, "you were absolutely right. I've never played better, I've done better work, I out-did myself," is what they'll say. And I say, "That's the way it should be because you've immortalized yourself. This is here forever. It's a time capsule." It's like Michelangelo's work. te know, it's like the Sistine Chapel, it's here forever. Everything we do should be that way, te know?
Anthony: To try to bring it to the best possible standard that it can be.
Michael: Absolutely.
Anthony: Now Sweetpea4286 wonders, "Are there any surprises on the new album?"
Michael: Any surprises? Boy. I think it is what it is, and te can interpret it the way te want to interpret it. Um, but uh, that's all I can say about that. Other than some ... we will be releasing some surprise CD singles at some point -- something like that, yeah. In the future, though. That's coming up.
Anthony: Very good. I wanted to ask you, just as... in performing... and recently you've done a couple of shows, te did a couple at Madison Square Garden and te did a mostra at RFK stadium, a benefit concert, and te know, obviously, te know, you.... live performance has been one of the things that has distinguished te throughout your career. You've been offstage for a while. I wonder if te could talk a little bit about what it was like to be out there again in front of an audience and, te know, getting that opportunity to perform again.
Michael: It was, um, it's hard to explain. It was quite exciting, to feel the audience and to see them and to be accepted so warmly da them. Um, it's just an incredible feeling. It really is. They're there to support te and to Amore te and to hear their preferito songs and you're just standing there and they're just giving te so much adulation and Amore and the sprit is just full of love, it's wonderful. It's very emotional. It, uh, brings me to tears. It's wonderful.
Anthony: I remember in your book te describe that like sometime on stage is when te feel the most alive, that those are the moments that, te know, really are the whole -- kind of the most transporting for you.
Michael: It is. It's being offstage that's difficult for me. Uh, being on stage ... either Scrivere Musica o Scrivere poetry, and being on stage, and watching cartoni animati are my preferito things to do in the entire world. Um, that's what brings me to life. I Amore that. That's what inspires me to do what I do, te know?
Anthony: Excellent. We have a domanda from someone calling themself The best dancer in the world. Well, we've got te on the line, I'm not sure that uh, we might have to contest that a little bit. But anyway, the best dancer in the world wants to know, "Michaeljackson.com detto that Jay Z will appear with te on the new album. Is that true?"
Michael: No, but we are talking about doing something in the future together.
Anthony: Is Jay Z an artist who's worked you've liked, is ah.. as a person, have te spent time with him? What's your impression of him?
Michael: I think he's excellent. He has incredible rhythms, counter-rhythms. And he's just one of the newer contemporary artists that the kids really love. He's really, really great.
Anthony: We have a domanda here from Sweden. Tony from Sweden writes in and says, "Hi Michael. You're the most amazing artist of all time. I just Amore your music. Do te want to tour, and will te do a world tour o a European tour?"
Michael: Um, gee, we haven't thought about it much right now, but uh, I don't want to say it's not in the works. Um, we're concentrating on a lot of different things right now. But I can't quite say.
Anthony: Fine. I wanted to ask...
Michael: te know what, in the near future I'm sure there'll be something that'll come up. In the near future.
Anthony: People should, ah, keep their eyes open for announcements on that front. We have a domanda from Noria, describes him o herself as a 32 anno old Spanish fan, Scrivere from Los Angeles, would like to know if te have any plans to release any of your songs in Invincible in Spanish o any other language besides English.
Michael: Uh, as of now we haven't but that would be a great thing to do. We haven't written that off. We think it's a big market, so that's a great possibility.
Anthony: Especially for someone like your self who has a big International following -- te know, for many people, their following is in England o in the US, but your following is very International obviously.
Michael: Thank you.
Anthony: Um, talk a bit... One of the things that was of kind of a little bit of a sensation this anno was Alien Ant Farm's cover of Smooth Criminal. I wanted to see if you'd paid attention it, if you... Do te enjoy it, o how te felt about it.
Michael: I saw it and fell in Amore with it. I loved it. I said, I just gotta have this come out. So, they wanted my permission; I saw it and I approved it and gave it a triple A, and detto "go right ahead."
Anthony: Fantastic. It must be interesting, as a songwriter, to have other people do your songs and come up with another interpretation. What is that like?
Michael: It's a great compliment. It's a wonderful compliment. It makes te feel worthy and that your Musica is reaching all the different generations. te know, and all the different, uh... I mean, everybody's out there listening and that makes me very happy.
Anthony: Now we have a domanda from Canada. Gary, who is 19, writes in, "What other artists did te collaborate with on Invincible?"
Michael: What other artists did I collaborate with on Invincible...
Anthony: Do te have any special guests.
Michael: Umm, oh yeah, Carlos Santana. He and I have done, like, a duet. He plays the chitarra and I sing and it's something that, uh, we've written. And it's really, really a nice song.
Anthony: Now had te known him from over time o did te meet him recently?
Michael: I've met him before, but we've been talking a lot on the phone recently. After winning his Grammy award he detto to the press that he would like to meet me and he's ready to work with me. So everybody's been telling me that, and uh, I called him up and he detto he really would, it would be his dream come true. And he was the nicest man. He's so kind and so spiritual. I found him to be so humble, so I detto to myself, "We have to make this work."
Anthony: And so te wrote a song together?
Michael: Well, there's a song that myself and two other people wrote and he was a part of it, and uh, Whatever Happens.
Anthony: Ok.. We have a domanda from Anicia. Says, "Michael are te a fan of Chris Tucker." Describes him being in your recente video.
Michael: I am a huge, huge fan Chris Tucker. He makes me laugh so hard. um, I uh, I've seen all of his films, and he's just a funny guy. I like people who can make te laugh without using vulgarity, o bad words. For the kids, they're for all different demographics, all the corners of the earth and he's just a funny guy.
Anthony: We have another domanda from Canada. Tony, who's 17 from Canada, writes and wonders, "How long does it take te to produce a song from the initial conception to the final recording?"
Michael: Well....
Anthony: [laughing] I guess it probably varies from...
Michael: Yeah, it does vary. And for me it's really different than most artists because I'll do a couple of songs, they'll be 5, 6, 7 o 8 o 10 of them; I'll throw them all away and start over. So, that's a difficult domanda to ask me.
Anthony: I wonder if... is there a specific song on the album -- say Invincible -- te know, how long... when... Do te remember getting the first inspiration for that song and then maybe the giorno when te finally said, "This is it, I've got it exactly the way I want it?"
Michael: On Invincible itself?
Anthony: umhum.
Michael: Ummm, yes. Yes. I remember having the guys go back in and create più innovative... 'Cause we don't... um, this is our thing, we don't, uh, a lot of sounds on the album that aren't sounds from keyboards, uh, that are, te know, pretty much programmed into the machines. We go out and make our own sounds. We hit on things, we beat on things, so nobody can duplicate what we do. We make them with our own hands, we find things and we create things. And uh, that's the most important thing, to be a pioneer. To be an innovator.
Anthony: Absoluteluy. Now we have Vernay who writes to us from Newark, Delaware, the good ole USA, and Vernay says, "I'm so pleased with the new album but I was particularly touched da Speechless. What was your inspiration for this song?"
Michael: Speechless was inspired to me by, um, I spend a lot of time in the forest. I like to go into the forest and I like to climb trees. My preferito thing is to climb trees, go all the way up to the superiore, in alto of a albero and I look down on the branches. Whenever I do that it inspires me for music. There are these two sweet little kids, a girl and a boy, and they're so innocent; they're the quintessential form of innocence, and just being in their presence I felt completely speechless, 'cause I felt I was looking in the face of God whenever I saw them. They inspired me to write Speechless.
Anthony: Well, that answer actually might touch on this successivo domanda which we have, which wonders, "Where do te look for inspiration when te write your songs. Does inspiration come from a variety of different places?
Michael: Well, the best songs that are written write themselves. te don't ask for them, they just drop into your lap. Then there are those songs that, te know, te kind of uh, incubate. te know, te plant the seed, let the subconscious take its course, and within time te hope something comes, and most the time it does. I don't believe in the concept of writer's block -- that is a bad word. te create it when te say it. There's no such thing. Um, like any painter o sculptor, they paint... they do their best work when they're in the 60s and their 70s. Fred Astaire did his best dancing when he was in his 70s. Angelo [Michelangelo] sculpted late into his 60s and 70s, doing brilliant ingenious work. But in the Musica business some of these great artists have become stumped because they self-abuse themselves at a young age, with all these crazy things they drink and pills and things, and uh, that's just not good -- just not a good thing. I hate to say that to hurt anybody, but we should take care of our bodies a little more.
Anthony: Naw, I think a lot of people have realized they've damaged themselves. te know, many people have talked about it in recente years, te know.
Michael: Yeah.
Anthony: We have a domanda from Allen here who asks if te think that Rodney Jerkins and te have created a new sound for 2001.
Michael: For the song 2000 Watts?
Anthony: He says, "Do te feel that te and Rodney Jerkins, of course the producer, have created a new sound for 2001?"
Michael: 2001? Anthony: Yes
Michael: Oh. Um, that would be a nice thought, yes.
Anthony: What was it like working with him. How did te guys meet and, te know, how did your collaboration go?
Michael: He was this guy who went around Hollywood and around the industry saying his dream was to work with me to everybody. Then at Carol Bayer Sager's house, who's this great song writer; won several academy awards for her songwriting, said, "There's a guy I used to work with. His name is Rodney Jerkins, he's been crying to me begging to meet you. I mean, why don't te pick up the phone and say 'hi' to him." And he came over that giorno and he said, "Please, my dream is to work with you. Will te give me two weeks and I'll see what I can come up with." And uh, we ended up working together.
Anthony: And what were your impressions of him, like as just somebody... What did he bring; what did te feel that his contribution was?
Michael: His contribution was he loves to create in the same kind of way that I like to create. But I pushed Rodney. And pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed him to create... uh, to innovate more. To pioneer more. He's a real musician. He's a real musician and he's very dedicated and he's real loyal. He has perseverance. I don't think I've seen perseverance like his in anyone. Because te can push him and push him and he doesn't get angry. Yeah, I think he's a great guy, he really is.
Anthony: That is a great compliment.
Michael: And um, and Teddy Riely is just incredible. He's innovative too. I Amore working with him.
Anthony: And te had worked with him in the past, of course.
Michael: Yeah, he's one of my favorite... as a human being, he's one of my preferito people in the world. He's just a really sweet, kind guy. te know. And Rodney's very funny. te laugh all giorno when you're with him. He turns his Musica up in the studio and he starts dancing around the room. He's fun.
Anthony: We'd like to remind everyone, you're on Getmusic. We're here talking with Michael Jackson, whose new album Invincible is out on Oct. 30th. te can check it out at Michaeljackson.com. te can preorder it on Getmusic.
Now we have a domanda from ItsJackson who is really named Rachel from Connecticut, wonders "Do te have any new dance moves that you've invented while te were making your album?"
Michael: For the first time working on any album, I put a halt to dancing. Because I was just so engrossed and so infatuated with what I was doing um, I did something that was very unusual. But once the Musica started playing, of course, I started to dance. But um, uh, it's starting to now create itself and, uh, with the Musica playing I'm coming up with some new things. But that's coming in the future with the newer short films. They'll be seeing... they'll be seeing all kinds of innovative things and movements that have never been seen before. We'll go places where we've never gone in dance before. Cause all the hiphop things that are happening now are beginning to look like aerobics, it's kinda getting annoying.
Anthony: [laughs] We have a domanda from Simon who, te know, you've obviously mentioned te know, all the people who have wanted to work with you. He wonders, "Michael who wold te Amore to do a duet with, past o present?"
Michael: Uh, if it's past, it'd be somebody like, uh, I would say Sarah Vaughn [*] o Nat King Cole. Present, I think, uh, Whitney Houston is brilliant and Barbara Striesand has a beautiful voice. te know, those kinds of artists, they're just wonderful.
Anthony: What's your impression of some of the artists who've come on the scene just in recente years, te know, people like Britney Speares and Christina Aguilara. te know, young pop stars who are obviously hugely popular. te know, obviously, Britney participated in your mostra at the Garden, te know, what was your sense about her?
Michael: I think they're a new breed that are coming out. They're doing a very good job. And what impressed me più about any of these artists, like Speares and Christina, they're so determined. I've heard about the way they work. They'll work on a dance step, I mean, like, for months, and, uh.. to get it right, te know. Uh, they're just so determined. And I've met... I've met Britney several times and she was very sweet and humble. She came to my room. We quietly talked for couple hours, and she was just, uh, like a Barbie doll. She was very sweet, she was very kind.
Anthony: I imagine that someone like te would be a kind of interesting and important resource for her, te know. As someone who was a stella, star when te were so young, and then when... I don't think people necessarily understand what a kind of strange reality that is, te know, within all the acclaim and the fame and the excitement, te know, to be a kid and have all that attention focused on te must be kind of scary also. Did te find it that way, uh, in your own experience?
Michael: Yeah, because where ever I go, um, I disguise myself, now -- but now I can't with, 'cause, te know, with what's going on in the world -- so I don't wear a disguise. And uh, people they just go... They really go crazy. They're very happy to see you. They feel as if they know you. te have to respond back to them like te know them. They feel they personally know you. My picture's on their walls, te know, my Musica is playing in their house, so they grab te and they hug te and they touch te and they... So I usually respond back with hugs and loves and kisses. Cause I love... I love... I truly Amore my fans. Truly, truly from the heart. That's the real truth. I Amore them. And the ones who are, um.... Like when we go to a certain country and they're outside, and outside they're sleeping on the strada, via and I throw them pillows and cover and everything. And I have my security guards buy them pizza so they can all eat, and get the candles and, te know, we really take care of them. They're very, very, very sweet and supportive.
Anthony: Sam who is 20 years old and from Texas here in the US wonders, "Will te release farfalle as a single? That's one of your best songs."
Michael: farfalle is, uh, is a single that's released now. It's a single now. Tell him thank te very much.
Anthony: Great. What other plans do te have, te know, when you... As somebody who's been a kind of innovator in terms of making short films to accompany your songs, do te conceptualize all that ahead of time or, te know, do te decide, on a kinda step da step basis, te know, this is gonna be the successivo single and I want to make a, te know, a kind of visual statement to accompany it. te know, how does that all proceed?
Michael: All right, the short film itself?
Anthony: Yeah.
Michael: Well, I let the song pretty much speak to me and I get in a room and I pretty much start making notes... te know, I'll speak to a writer -- like Stephen King and myself, both of us wrote Ghosts, the short film Ghosts, and we just on the telephone started Scrivere it and let it create itself and go where it wants to go. But we try to do things that are very unusual. And it's... it's not an easy thing to do because te have to time it with the song, and te can't spend too much time, and the special effects can take 5 months sometimes to execute. So, it's just .. .it's kinda difficult thing and the record company's saying, "Come on, come on, come on, we have to go, we have to go." So, I understand. So we try to do the best we can in the amount of time that we can execute it in.
Anthony: We have a domanda now, uh, Helen from Scotland says, "If te could only perform one of your songs for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?"
Michael: Ooh, it would probably be... if I could pick più than one, up to two o three?
Anthony: yeah, I think we can go that far.
Michael: Heal The World, Speechless, um, and that's a difficult one... I think, uh.. huh... ummm, te Are My Life.
Anthony: So, te went for the ones that are the... the kind of, uh, the biggest statements, in a way, it seems to me.
Michael: Yeah, because, uh, the point is that they're very melodic and if they have a great important message that's kinda immortal, that can relate to any time and space, te know.
Anthony: One of the things, actually, I wanted to ask te is, te know, we've had these, te know, horrible terrorist attacks here in New York City and in Washington, DC. What is the role that te feel, te know, artists can play in the wake of something like that. te know, I mean, te did that benefits mostra in Washington. te know, is there... In Musica and in... te know, can artists do something to help people get through what for many of us has been a very difficult time?
Michael: Yeah, te give of yourself. te give of your talent, of your ability... The talent that was dato te da the Heavens. That's why we're here, to bring a sense of escapism in time of need. And, uh, if you're a painter te paint; if you're a sculptor, te sculpt; if you're a writer, te write; if you're a songwriter, te give songs; if you're a dancer, te give dance. te give people some Amore and some... some bliss and some escapism, and to mostra that te truly care from the heart, and be there for them. Not just from a distance, but mostra te really care. te know, take the long mile and be there for them. And that's what I did, and many others who cared and helped. And it's an important thing.
Anthony: We have a domanda now from Chili Boy who wonders, "I've always wanted to know, how do te come up with a dance move, and how long does it take for te to put the choreography for a song together?"
Michael: I pretty much just get in a room and I start to dance, and uh, I don't create the dance, the dance creates itself, really. te know, I'll do something and I'll look back... I'll look back on tape and I'll go, "Wow," I didn't realize I had done that. It came out of the drums. te become.... Dancing is about interpretation. te become.... te become the accompaniment of the music. So when te become the basso of Billie Jean, I couldn't help but do the step that I was doing when the song first starts, because, uh, that's what it told me to do. te know, if I turn around, spin, stop, sposta my legs to the side and then lift up the collare of my shirt, that's for that moment is an accompaniment.
Anthony: I remember watching that moment on Televisione and just leaping out of my chair. It's so extraordinary.
Michael: Thank te very much.
Anthony: That was really one of the great, great moments.
Michael: It's all spontaneous movement. Nothing in that piece was, on, uh, Billie Jean, was planned but the Moonwalk. Everything else was just, te know, improvising, really.
On October 26, 2001 Michael took part in an online audio chat, answering fans' domande via the telephone through moderator Anthony DeCurtis. The interview was sponsored da GetMusic.com and RollingStone.com and has been archived online at GetMusic.com.
The text transcript of the interview is below.
Anthony: Hello Ladies and Gentleman, this is Anthony DeCurtis. You're on Getmusic.com and we're here tonight for a very special event. The King of Pop, one of the greatest artists in the history of popolare music, Michael Jackson, is going to be joining us. He has a new record coming out on Oct. 30, it's called Invisible [interviewer's error]. te can check it out at Michaeljackson.com, te can preorder it at getmusic.com.
Anthony: Michael, it's a pleasure to talk to te man.
Michael: Pleasure to talk with you.
Anthony: Tell us a little bit about the new album. It's your first new record in 6 years. Uh, do te still get exited when te have something come out? Obviously you've accomplished so much over the years. te know, do te still feel that, like, "Wow, I wonder what people are gonna think" or, te know, feel all of that kind of anticipation?
Michael: I kinda parallel it to a, uh, te know... It's like the gestation process of, uh, birth. te know, it's a... te know, it's like having children, and having to raise them and bring them out into the world, and once they get into the world they're on their own. So, it's, it's, very exciting. I mean, te never get too used to it, ever. It's, uh, an incredible process. But te leave it in the hands of God, like te do when you're having a child.
Anthony: Absolutely. We've got domande already beginning to pour in from your fan on the Internet. We've got Electric Eyes, male, Scrivere in. Says, "Michael, te are, in my mind, the greatest artist of all time. The true King of pop, rock, and soul." And he wants to know, "What is your preferito song on the new album?"
Michael: My preferito song on the new album. Can I pick two?
Anthony: Uh, yeah, I think te can do that. te can pretty much do whatever te like.
Michael: Uh, it would probably be Unbreakable... I'll pick three. Unbreakable, Speechless, and The Lost Children.
Anthony: Tell us about a couple of those tracks. te know, what was it like work... I mean, were there special guests, o were te working with new producers, o how te wrote them. te know, something that gives us some flavor.
Michael: Well, the songwriting process is something very difficult to explain because it's very spiritual. It's, uh...You really have it in the hands of God, and it's as if its been written already - that's the real truth. As if its been written in its entirety before were born and you're just really the fonte through which the songs come. Really. Because there is...they just fall right into your lap in it's entirety. te don't have to do much thinking about it. And I feel guilty having to put my name, sometimes, on the songs that I - I do write them - I digita them, I write them, I do the scoring, I do the lyrics, I do the melodies but still, it's a...it's a work of God.
Anthony: Samantha from Canada just sent us in a question. She would like to know, "How would te describe the sound on Invincible and have te incorporated any other genres into the album?"
Michael: Well, the sound is...sonically, we always try to make sure we have, te know, pristine, detailed, uh, te know, the best sound, the best engineers, the best technicians available. And of course, I tried to make the album a potpourri of just wonderful melodies of any style. Because I don't believe in stylizing o branding any type of music. I think a great artist should be able to just create any style, any form, any...any thing from rock to pop to folk to gospel to spiritual to just, just wonderful Musica where every, uh, anybody can sing it, from the Irish farmer to a lady who Scrubs toilets in Harlem. If te can whistle it and hum it, that's the most important thing.
Anthony: Now, when you're working do te find, are te in a mode where te like to listen to a lot of other music, o you're listening to the radio and maybe picking up people's CDs. o when you're working do te like to just kinda shut it all out and concentrate, te know, intently on what you're doing?
Michael: I pretty much... I always know what's going on, on the radio and in clubs, that people are listening to. Even though people think I live at Neverland -- mentally I'm in Never Never land all the time -- I'm always connected. I always know what's going on in the Musica world, all the time. Not just in America but Internationally. te know, all over the world. And uh, when I'm working though, I don't... I'm not in... I don't think I'm influenced da a lot of the Musica today. Uh, I pretty much create what I think is in my heart. Very original. I try to be as original as possible. I don't say, 'OK, I'm gonna make this a great R&B song, a great pop... I just want to make a great song.
Anthony: Like the song takes it's own form.
Michael: Yeah. Yes.
Anthony: Well, uh, Amber here on the Internet offers te lots of Amore and wonders if, um, it was fun for te to make the rock... the te Rock My World video.
Michael: Yes, that was a lot of fun. Uh, it was... We stayed up all night, which was very hard [giggling]. We, uh, it was fun hearing it blasted on the set on really good speakers. That's one of my preferito things, hearing the Musica really loud. 'Cause I like to play Musica loud. I mean, it's, uh... If te play something over the Internet o small speakers, it doesn't have the same punch. That's why te have to buy it. te have to buy that CD to really hear that punch. It makes a huge difference. Huge difference. There's no comparison. Buying the CD is the best thing. There's no comparison. [Interruption from host]... te can't hear all those sounds if te do it on a smaller system.
Anthony: And when you're, uh... So when you're out on the video set, uh, you're able to just kinda crank it up as loud as te want?
Michael: As loud as I want.
Anthony: Very good [laughing]. Well, we have Michael Mathew from Canada. He says, "I just saw Ghosts on MTV. As always, te are awesome, Michael. Do te have any plans of releasing it as a DVD in America?"
Michael: Yes, it will be released as a DVD in America in it's entirety, and some of the making of Ghosts. And that was one of my most preferito things I've ever done because it's been a dream of mine for a long time to do something like, te know, scary but comical at the same time, and, uh, it's all the elements, just fun. 'Cause I don't want to scare people to the point where they're afraid to go to sleep. I want it to have a little twist of humor. And within the laugher there is a tear, te know? It's fun, te know. These ghosts, they weren't really scary, they were fun. They walked up the ceilings. Little kids were laughing at them. They were fun. te know, we don't want to horrify them. But we gave this fat man, this Mayor, his justice, for coming into my house, which was private property, judging me. te know.
Anthony: Absolutely. We have Cloudlee2000 who writes in and wonders, "Why did te name the album Invincible?"
Michael: Well, invincible is something of... I think it's a proper name. It's one of the cuts on the album and I've been an artist.. uh, not to pat myself on the back but the guinness Book of World Records just listed me, uh, another time, as the artist who's had the longest stretch career 'cause since I was a little, little kid to this point with still hit records from number one records, and uh, I'm so proud and honored that I've been chosen from the Heavens, o whatever it is, to be Invincible, and to just continue to grow and to be, te know... serve the people. It serves the people with wonderful entertainment.
Anthony: Now, one of the, te know, the kind of conventional wisdom in the Musica industry is, te know, audiences don't really have an attention span any more, te know. If an artist stays away for too long the audience wanders off and goes somewhere else. Was that a concern of yours with coming out with a record and taking a while to work on Invincible o do you, uh, are te convinced your fan base is still there and will be as strong as ever?
Michael: I'm, I'm ... No, the answer to your domanda is that has never concerned me once and I've never thought of it. Because I've always known if Musica is truly great o if a movie is truly great, people want to see it o hear it. No matter where you, how long you've been away, o whatever the situation is. te know, greatness is greatness and if te really do a great job on what you're doing, people want to hear it. o they want to see it. te know, it doesn't matter, It really doesn't. Long as you're an innovator and a pioneer, te know. And that's the most important thing. Give them what they want to hear.
Anthony: Now Slimslady420US sends in a domanda and wonders "which song on the Invincible album do te think te personally relate to the most?"
Michael: Ummm, Unbreakable.
Anthony: Talk a bit about that track. Now te mentioned it a couple of times, I'm getting really curious about it. Could you... What could te tell us about it?
Michael: 'Cause, uh, I' m one of the few people, probably in mostra business, that have been through the ins and outs, te know, of so many different things. Um, I've been through hell and back. I have, to be honest, and uh, and still I'm able to do what I do and nothing can stop me. No one can stop me, no matter what. I stop when I'm ready to stop. te know, and uh, I'm just saying, te know, I will continue to sposta inoltrare, avanti no matter what.
Anthony: Now we have Warful writes in, "Are te working o planning to do any più short films for Invincible, specifically for the really fast tracks such as 2000 Watts, Heartbreaker, Unbreakable, and Invincible?"
Michael: Absolutely, and she said... Whoever detto that detto the right word when they detto detto "short films." And uh, that's what we try to make them, short films: a beginning and middle and a ending of a story. Uh, to take the medium to a new level but absolutely. There's like a an array of, an encyclopedia of just great short films to make from the album. It's very exciting. I can't wait to do Threatened. It's a kind of scary one with Rod Serling from the Twilight Zone. I can't wait to get my hands on that one.
Anthony: We have a domanda here from Nepolian3, says his name is George really, and it says, "Michael, I think this is your most cohesive and impressive album since Thriller. Or, really, Off The Wall. What are some of your most memorable moments while recording the tracks for this album?"
Michael: Most memorable moments were, it was... of all my albums I would say this one was the toughest. 'Cause I was hardest on myself. Uh, I wrote so many songs, I don't want to say the number, just to get to uh, how many are on there, 16? Just to get to the 16 that I think are acceptable. And, um, it's the album where... I didn't have children before other albums, so I caught a lot of colds; I was sick a lot. Cause my children got [interruption from host]. So we had to stop and start again and stop and start and... constantly. But I enjoyed it very, very much.
Anthony: Now, when te describe yourself as being tough on yourself during the recording process. How does that, te know... what is the process that te go to. If te think something isn't quite what it ought to be o maybe te could do better o te know, maybe te want to sposta something in a new direction. te know, what is that like?
Michael: If I truly told you, I don't know if the fan would like me anymore [giggles]. I've had musicians who really get angry with me because I'll make them do something literally several hundred to a thousand times till it's what I want it to be. Um, but then afterwards, they call me back on the phone and they'll apologize and say, "you were absolutely right. I've never played better, I've done better work, I out-did myself," is what they'll say. And I say, "That's the way it should be because you've immortalized yourself. This is here forever. It's a time capsule." It's like Michelangelo's work. te know, it's like the Sistine Chapel, it's here forever. Everything we do should be that way, te know?
Anthony: To try to bring it to the best possible standard that it can be.
Michael: Absolutely.
Anthony: Now Sweetpea4286 wonders, "Are there any surprises on the new album?"
Michael: Any surprises? Boy. I think it is what it is, and te can interpret it the way te want to interpret it. Um, but uh, that's all I can say about that. Other than some ... we will be releasing some surprise CD singles at some point -- something like that, yeah. In the future, though. That's coming up.
Anthony: Very good. I wanted to ask you, just as... in performing... and recently you've done a couple of shows, te did a couple at Madison Square Garden and te did a mostra at RFK stadium, a benefit concert, and te know, obviously, te know, you.... live performance has been one of the things that has distinguished te throughout your career. You've been offstage for a while. I wonder if te could talk a little bit about what it was like to be out there again in front of an audience and, te know, getting that opportunity to perform again.
Michael: It was, um, it's hard to explain. It was quite exciting, to feel the audience and to see them and to be accepted so warmly da them. Um, it's just an incredible feeling. It really is. They're there to support te and to Amore te and to hear their preferito songs and you're just standing there and they're just giving te so much adulation and Amore and the sprit is just full of love, it's wonderful. It's very emotional. It, uh, brings me to tears. It's wonderful.
Anthony: I remember in your book te describe that like sometime on stage is when te feel the most alive, that those are the moments that, te know, really are the whole -- kind of the most transporting for you.
Michael: It is. It's being offstage that's difficult for me. Uh, being on stage ... either Scrivere Musica o Scrivere poetry, and being on stage, and watching cartoni animati are my preferito things to do in the entire world. Um, that's what brings me to life. I Amore that. That's what inspires me to do what I do, te know?
Anthony: Excellent. We have a domanda from someone calling themself The best dancer in the world. Well, we've got te on the line, I'm not sure that uh, we might have to contest that a little bit. But anyway, the best dancer in the world wants to know, "Michaeljackson.com detto that Jay Z will appear with te on the new album. Is that true?"
Michael: No, but we are talking about doing something in the future together.
Anthony: Is Jay Z an artist who's worked you've liked, is ah.. as a person, have te spent time with him? What's your impression of him?
Michael: I think he's excellent. He has incredible rhythms, counter-rhythms. And he's just one of the newer contemporary artists that the kids really love. He's really, really great.
Anthony: We have a domanda here from Sweden. Tony from Sweden writes in and says, "Hi Michael. You're the most amazing artist of all time. I just Amore your music. Do te want to tour, and will te do a world tour o a European tour?"
Michael: Um, gee, we haven't thought about it much right now, but uh, I don't want to say it's not in the works. Um, we're concentrating on a lot of different things right now. But I can't quite say.
Anthony: Fine. I wanted to ask...
Michael: te know what, in the near future I'm sure there'll be something that'll come up. In the near future.
Anthony: People should, ah, keep their eyes open for announcements on that front. We have a domanda from Noria, describes him o herself as a 32 anno old Spanish fan, Scrivere from Los Angeles, would like to know if te have any plans to release any of your songs in Invincible in Spanish o any other language besides English.
Michael: Uh, as of now we haven't but that would be a great thing to do. We haven't written that off. We think it's a big market, so that's a great possibility.
Anthony: Especially for someone like your self who has a big International following -- te know, for many people, their following is in England o in the US, but your following is very International obviously.
Michael: Thank you.
Anthony: Um, talk a bit... One of the things that was of kind of a little bit of a sensation this anno was Alien Ant Farm's cover of Smooth Criminal. I wanted to see if you'd paid attention it, if you... Do te enjoy it, o how te felt about it.
Michael: I saw it and fell in Amore with it. I loved it. I said, I just gotta have this come out. So, they wanted my permission; I saw it and I approved it and gave it a triple A, and detto "go right ahead."
Anthony: Fantastic. It must be interesting, as a songwriter, to have other people do your songs and come up with another interpretation. What is that like?
Michael: It's a great compliment. It's a wonderful compliment. It makes te feel worthy and that your Musica is reaching all the different generations. te know, and all the different, uh... I mean, everybody's out there listening and that makes me very happy.
Anthony: Now we have a domanda from Canada. Gary, who is 19, writes in, "What other artists did te collaborate with on Invincible?"
Michael: What other artists did I collaborate with on Invincible...
Anthony: Do te have any special guests.
Michael: Umm, oh yeah, Carlos Santana. He and I have done, like, a duet. He plays the chitarra and I sing and it's something that, uh, we've written. And it's really, really a nice song.
Anthony: Now had te known him from over time o did te meet him recently?
Michael: I've met him before, but we've been talking a lot on the phone recently. After winning his Grammy award he detto to the press that he would like to meet me and he's ready to work with me. So everybody's been telling me that, and uh, I called him up and he detto he really would, it would be his dream come true. And he was the nicest man. He's so kind and so spiritual. I found him to be so humble, so I detto to myself, "We have to make this work."
Anthony: And so te wrote a song together?
Michael: Well, there's a song that myself and two other people wrote and he was a part of it, and uh, Whatever Happens.
Anthony: Ok.. We have a domanda from Anicia. Says, "Michael are te a fan of Chris Tucker." Describes him being in your recente video.
Michael: I am a huge, huge fan Chris Tucker. He makes me laugh so hard. um, I uh, I've seen all of his films, and he's just a funny guy. I like people who can make te laugh without using vulgarity, o bad words. For the kids, they're for all different demographics, all the corners of the earth and he's just a funny guy.
Anthony: We have another domanda from Canada. Tony, who's 17 from Canada, writes and wonders, "How long does it take te to produce a song from the initial conception to the final recording?"
Michael: Well....
Anthony: [laughing] I guess it probably varies from...
Michael: Yeah, it does vary. And for me it's really different than most artists because I'll do a couple of songs, they'll be 5, 6, 7 o 8 o 10 of them; I'll throw them all away and start over. So, that's a difficult domanda to ask me.
Anthony: I wonder if... is there a specific song on the album -- say Invincible -- te know, how long... when... Do te remember getting the first inspiration for that song and then maybe the giorno when te finally said, "This is it, I've got it exactly the way I want it?"
Michael: On Invincible itself?
Anthony: umhum.
Michael: Ummm, yes. Yes. I remember having the guys go back in and create più innovative... 'Cause we don't... um, this is our thing, we don't, uh, a lot of sounds on the album that aren't sounds from keyboards, uh, that are, te know, pretty much programmed into the machines. We go out and make our own sounds. We hit on things, we beat on things, so nobody can duplicate what we do. We make them with our own hands, we find things and we create things. And uh, that's the most important thing, to be a pioneer. To be an innovator.
Anthony: Absoluteluy. Now we have Vernay who writes to us from Newark, Delaware, the good ole USA, and Vernay says, "I'm so pleased with the new album but I was particularly touched da Speechless. What was your inspiration for this song?"
Michael: Speechless was inspired to me by, um, I spend a lot of time in the forest. I like to go into the forest and I like to climb trees. My preferito thing is to climb trees, go all the way up to the superiore, in alto of a albero and I look down on the branches. Whenever I do that it inspires me for music. There are these two sweet little kids, a girl and a boy, and they're so innocent; they're the quintessential form of innocence, and just being in their presence I felt completely speechless, 'cause I felt I was looking in the face of God whenever I saw them. They inspired me to write Speechless.
Anthony: Well, that answer actually might touch on this successivo domanda which we have, which wonders, "Where do te look for inspiration when te write your songs. Does inspiration come from a variety of different places?
Michael: Well, the best songs that are written write themselves. te don't ask for them, they just drop into your lap. Then there are those songs that, te know, te kind of uh, incubate. te know, te plant the seed, let the subconscious take its course, and within time te hope something comes, and most the time it does. I don't believe in the concept of writer's block -- that is a bad word. te create it when te say it. There's no such thing. Um, like any painter o sculptor, they paint... they do their best work when they're in the 60s and their 70s. Fred Astaire did his best dancing when he was in his 70s. Angelo [Michelangelo] sculpted late into his 60s and 70s, doing brilliant ingenious work. But in the Musica business some of these great artists have become stumped because they self-abuse themselves at a young age, with all these crazy things they drink and pills and things, and uh, that's just not good -- just not a good thing. I hate to say that to hurt anybody, but we should take care of our bodies a little more.
Anthony: Naw, I think a lot of people have realized they've damaged themselves. te know, many people have talked about it in recente years, te know.
Michael: Yeah.
Anthony: We have a domanda from Allen here who asks if te think that Rodney Jerkins and te have created a new sound for 2001.
Michael: For the song 2000 Watts?
Anthony: He says, "Do te feel that te and Rodney Jerkins, of course the producer, have created a new sound for 2001?"
Michael: 2001? Anthony: Yes
Michael: Oh. Um, that would be a nice thought, yes.
Anthony: What was it like working with him. How did te guys meet and, te know, how did your collaboration go?
Michael: He was this guy who went around Hollywood and around the industry saying his dream was to work with me to everybody. Then at Carol Bayer Sager's house, who's this great song writer; won several academy awards for her songwriting, said, "There's a guy I used to work with. His name is Rodney Jerkins, he's been crying to me begging to meet you. I mean, why don't te pick up the phone and say 'hi' to him." And he came over that giorno and he said, "Please, my dream is to work with you. Will te give me two weeks and I'll see what I can come up with." And uh, we ended up working together.
Anthony: And what were your impressions of him, like as just somebody... What did he bring; what did te feel that his contribution was?
Michael: His contribution was he loves to create in the same kind of way that I like to create. But I pushed Rodney. And pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed him to create... uh, to innovate more. To pioneer more. He's a real musician. He's a real musician and he's very dedicated and he's real loyal. He has perseverance. I don't think I've seen perseverance like his in anyone. Because te can push him and push him and he doesn't get angry. Yeah, I think he's a great guy, he really is.
Anthony: That is a great compliment.
Michael: And um, and Teddy Riely is just incredible. He's innovative too. I Amore working with him.
Anthony: And te had worked with him in the past, of course.
Michael: Yeah, he's one of my favorite... as a human being, he's one of my preferito people in the world. He's just a really sweet, kind guy. te know. And Rodney's very funny. te laugh all giorno when you're with him. He turns his Musica up in the studio and he starts dancing around the room. He's fun.
Anthony: We'd like to remind everyone, you're on Getmusic. We're here talking with Michael Jackson, whose new album Invincible is out on Oct. 30th. te can check it out at Michaeljackson.com. te can preorder it on Getmusic.
Now we have a domanda from ItsJackson who is really named Rachel from Connecticut, wonders "Do te have any new dance moves that you've invented while te were making your album?"
Michael: For the first time working on any album, I put a halt to dancing. Because I was just so engrossed and so infatuated with what I was doing um, I did something that was very unusual. But once the Musica started playing, of course, I started to dance. But um, uh, it's starting to now create itself and, uh, with the Musica playing I'm coming up with some new things. But that's coming in the future with the newer short films. They'll be seeing... they'll be seeing all kinds of innovative things and movements that have never been seen before. We'll go places where we've never gone in dance before. Cause all the hiphop things that are happening now are beginning to look like aerobics, it's kinda getting annoying.
Anthony: [laughs] We have a domanda from Simon who, te know, you've obviously mentioned te know, all the people who have wanted to work with you. He wonders, "Michael who wold te Amore to do a duet with, past o present?"
Michael: Uh, if it's past, it'd be somebody like, uh, I would say Sarah Vaughn [*] o Nat King Cole. Present, I think, uh, Whitney Houston is brilliant and Barbara Striesand has a beautiful voice. te know, those kinds of artists, they're just wonderful.
Anthony: What's your impression of some of the artists who've come on the scene just in recente years, te know, people like Britney Speares and Christina Aguilara. te know, young pop stars who are obviously hugely popular. te know, obviously, Britney participated in your mostra at the Garden, te know, what was your sense about her?
Michael: I think they're a new breed that are coming out. They're doing a very good job. And what impressed me più about any of these artists, like Speares and Christina, they're so determined. I've heard about the way they work. They'll work on a dance step, I mean, like, for months, and, uh.. to get it right, te know. Uh, they're just so determined. And I've met... I've met Britney several times and she was very sweet and humble. She came to my room. We quietly talked for couple hours, and she was just, uh, like a Barbie doll. She was very sweet, she was very kind.
Anthony: I imagine that someone like te would be a kind of interesting and important resource for her, te know. As someone who was a stella, star when te were so young, and then when... I don't think people necessarily understand what a kind of strange reality that is, te know, within all the acclaim and the fame and the excitement, te know, to be a kid and have all that attention focused on te must be kind of scary also. Did te find it that way, uh, in your own experience?
Michael: Yeah, because where ever I go, um, I disguise myself, now -- but now I can't with, 'cause, te know, with what's going on in the world -- so I don't wear a disguise. And uh, people they just go... They really go crazy. They're very happy to see you. They feel as if they know you. te have to respond back to them like te know them. They feel they personally know you. My picture's on their walls, te know, my Musica is playing in their house, so they grab te and they hug te and they touch te and they... So I usually respond back with hugs and loves and kisses. Cause I love... I love... I truly Amore my fans. Truly, truly from the heart. That's the real truth. I Amore them. And the ones who are, um.... Like when we go to a certain country and they're outside, and outside they're sleeping on the strada, via and I throw them pillows and cover and everything. And I have my security guards buy them pizza so they can all eat, and get the candles and, te know, we really take care of them. They're very, very, very sweet and supportive.
Anthony: Sam who is 20 years old and from Texas here in the US wonders, "Will te release farfalle as a single? That's one of your best songs."
Michael: farfalle is, uh, is a single that's released now. It's a single now. Tell him thank te very much.
Anthony: Great. What other plans do te have, te know, when you... As somebody who's been a kind of innovator in terms of making short films to accompany your songs, do te conceptualize all that ahead of time or, te know, do te decide, on a kinda step da step basis, te know, this is gonna be the successivo single and I want to make a, te know, a kind of visual statement to accompany it. te know, how does that all proceed?
Michael: All right, the short film itself?
Anthony: Yeah.
Michael: Well, I let the song pretty much speak to me and I get in a room and I pretty much start making notes... te know, I'll speak to a writer -- like Stephen King and myself, both of us wrote Ghosts, the short film Ghosts, and we just on the telephone started Scrivere it and let it create itself and go where it wants to go. But we try to do things that are very unusual. And it's... it's not an easy thing to do because te have to time it with the song, and te can't spend too much time, and the special effects can take 5 months sometimes to execute. So, it's just .. .it's kinda difficult thing and the record company's saying, "Come on, come on, come on, we have to go, we have to go." So, I understand. So we try to do the best we can in the amount of time that we can execute it in.
Anthony: We have a domanda now, uh, Helen from Scotland says, "If te could only perform one of your songs for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?"
Michael: Ooh, it would probably be... if I could pick più than one, up to two o three?
Anthony: yeah, I think we can go that far.
Michael: Heal The World, Speechless, um, and that's a difficult one... I think, uh.. huh... ummm, te Are My Life.
Anthony: So, te went for the ones that are the... the kind of, uh, the biggest statements, in a way, it seems to me.
Michael: Yeah, because, uh, the point is that they're very melodic and if they have a great important message that's kinda immortal, that can relate to any time and space, te know.
Anthony: One of the things, actually, I wanted to ask te is, te know, we've had these, te know, horrible terrorist attacks here in New York City and in Washington, DC. What is the role that te feel, te know, artists can play in the wake of something like that. te know, I mean, te did that benefits mostra in Washington. te know, is there... In Musica and in... te know, can artists do something to help people get through what for many of us has been a very difficult time?
Michael: Yeah, te give of yourself. te give of your talent, of your ability... The talent that was dato te da the Heavens. That's why we're here, to bring a sense of escapism in time of need. And, uh, if you're a painter te paint; if you're a sculptor, te sculpt; if you're a writer, te write; if you're a songwriter, te give songs; if you're a dancer, te give dance. te give people some Amore and some... some bliss and some escapism, and to mostra that te truly care from the heart, and be there for them. Not just from a distance, but mostra te really care. te know, take the long mile and be there for them. And that's what I did, and many others who cared and helped. And it's an important thing.
Anthony: We have a domanda now from Chili Boy who wonders, "I've always wanted to know, how do te come up with a dance move, and how long does it take for te to put the choreography for a song together?"
Michael: I pretty much just get in a room and I start to dance, and uh, I don't create the dance, the dance creates itself, really. te know, I'll do something and I'll look back... I'll look back on tape and I'll go, "Wow," I didn't realize I had done that. It came out of the drums. te become.... Dancing is about interpretation. te become.... te become the accompaniment of the music. So when te become the basso of Billie Jean, I couldn't help but do the step that I was doing when the song first starts, because, uh, that's what it told me to do. te know, if I turn around, spin, stop, sposta my legs to the side and then lift up the collare of my shirt, that's for that moment is an accompaniment.
Anthony: I remember watching that moment on Televisione and just leaping out of my chair. It's so extraordinary.
Michael: Thank te very much.
Anthony: That was really one of the great, great moments.
Michael: It's all spontaneous movement. Nothing in that piece was, on, uh, Billie Jean, was planned but the Moonwalk. Everything else was just, te know, improvising, really.
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